Editor: Scott Vetter, Assistant Editor: Rosemary Parker
Announcements
Welcome to guest Ian Schwartz and new member Sean Gerber (he hung around long enough that he figured he might as well join us!).
Golf Tournament: People are expressing interest and staring to buy foursomes. June 5 will come quickly so talk about our tournament to everyone you know. The Event Caddy website is launching this week.
Golf Committee Meeting: Friday, March 3 at noon. KS on the Keys.
Community Blend Committee Meeting: Wednesday, March 8 at 6:30 via Zoom.
We are looking for applicants for the Global Grant Scholarship. Know a student looking to earn their Masters degree abroad? They should apply to by March 31. https://www.rotary7040.com/page/scholarships.
On Friday, 31 March 2023 the Rotary Club of Kanata is hosting their Music Trivia Night at the Kanata Legion from 6 – 10 pm. Kateri right away if you wish to participate.
Dreamers Walk Canada and Yuk Yuk's present:
COMEDY FUNDRAISER FOR CEREBRAL PALSY only $25
SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023 - 7:30 PM
Marriott Hotel, Lower Level at 100 Kent St Ottawa Buy Tickets
Next Meeting: BGC Ottawa: Be sure to come to our March 8 meeting at KS on the Keys to give a warm welcome to the Boys and Girls Club Ottawa.
Shared Services Canada's Accessibility Plan 2022 - 2025
Kateri Clark,
Senior Advisor, Accessibility Strategy and Planning
Shared Services Canada
It's no wonder that our very own, Kateri Clark, is so adept at ensuring inclusivity, making people feel welcome and planning... she's a professional. As a Senior Advisor for Accessibility Strategy and Planning for Shared Services Canada (SSC), Kateri has been working for the past five years to help the federal government be proactive in approaching accessibility.
SSC is the IT department for federal government, so it plays a significant role and helping policies, departments and programs embrace accessibility. It requires a paradigm shift from being reactive to thinking proactively. As Kateri pointed out, accessibility benefits everybody and creates a more innovative, efficient and productive public service.
Did you know that many everyday items were originally designed for persons with disabilities? This includes:
Typewriter/keyboard
Voice recognition/voice to text (Hello Siri)
Closed captioning
Audio books
Curb cuts
Electric toothbrush
Our society benefits from an approach that is inclusive. Kateri went over several aspects of the SSC's Accessibility Plan 2022 - 2025. Click to see some of the highlights and insights. (PDF file) Since it is a huge undertaking, she emphasized that plan focuses on progress, not perfection. She also commented on a few aspects in particular that kept her interest in such a large project:
Accessibility is everyone's responsibility.
It is very horizontal, collaborative work.
We're in the early stages of an approach/movement that will become part of our everyday lives in Canada.
What Rotary Ottawa South and members could do to be more disability-inclusive:
Commit to increasing awareness of the barriers that confront persons with disabilities.
Encourage our members to learn more about accessibility and disability inclusion, perhaps by holding meetings focused on diversity and inclusion.
Promote, model and reinforce accessibility best practices in your day-to-day activities.
Ask that all communications and documents be accessible.
Plan and hold accessible meetings.
Have conversations about accessibility and disability inclusion – does everyone in the club have what they need to work to the best of their ability?
Be curious. Ask or consult on the accessibility and disability inclusion impacts of decisions or recommended solutions
Find out how we can improve the rates of recruitment and retention of persons with disabilities within Rotary.
Plan and undertake an accessibility review of the Club in consultation with persons with disabilities
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